


Of Canine Children and Broody Elves

by NicePumpkinSpice



Series: Of Sweet Memories and Guarded Moments [56]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-15
Updated: 2015-04-15
Packaged: 2018-03-23 02:39:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3751273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NicePumpkinSpice/pseuds/NicePumpkinSpice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Evelyn and Cullen reunite after the battle in the Arbor Wilds.  Bella the dog is overjoyed to see her Commander.  Evelyn tries to determine why Solas is particularly broody.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Canine Children and Broody Elves

Cullen heard her lilting laugh before he saw her. _Thank the Maker. She really is okay._ He tried to twist around to see where Evelyn was, but the healer beside him pressed a hand to his chest reminding him to keep still. It was agony waiting to see her face. Just as Cullen was considering trying to yell to get Evelyn’s attention, her head popped over the side of the wagon. She smiled brilliantly and held her fist out to him. “Don’t leave me hanging, man,” she teased.

He bumped her fist with his and then said, “I hope that isn’t the only greeting I get, Ev.”

The Inquisitor crawled into the wagon as the healer got off. Evelyn wore an expression of intense relief mixed with anger. “I’m so glad that you’re alive, but if you ever lie to me like that again I’ll kill you.”

Cullen grinned so widely he could feel the scar on his lip tugging. _The Maker heard my prayer about letting her live to tell me off._ He nodded his agreement and then saluted with an arm to his chest, “Message received, Inquisitor.”

Hearing that she inched closer to him. He could sense her healing magic surrounding him and checking his body. Closing his eyes, Cullen relished feeling her warm aura. It washed over him loosening knotted muscles, knitting torn tissues, and increasing his stamina. “Maker, I’ve missed this,” he admitted. While Anissa and the other healers were proficient, none of them knew his body as well as Evelyn. She knew just the right places to push her magic.

While her magic was still settling throughout his body, he felt her lips against his. Her kiss was gentle and chaste. Reaching his arms toward her, he pulled her down on his lap. 

“Cullen, I don’t want to hurt you,” she protested.

“I was stabbed in the back. My lap is just fine, thank you,” he said then guided her lips back to his. 

Evelyn allowed Cullen to kiss her for a little while and then pulled back. Getting off his lap, she sat beside him and took his hand. “You don’t want to overexert yourself.”

“Oh, but I do,” he said in a hoarse voice.

She giggled and said, “You’re to rest for the next two to three weeks. No training, fighting, or other strenuous pursuits.”

“But I enjoy strenuous pursuits,” he whined while running a hand up her leg.

“You are absolutely incorrigible,” she said while swatting his leg playfully. “However, I may be able to come up with a modified regimen for you. I’d hate for you to get out of practice.”

“Now look who’s incorrigible,” he smiled and rubbed his thumb across her cheek. “Ev, I’m so glad that you’re okay. When you went into that temple without proper support, I nearly lost my mind. Please promise you won’t do something like that again.”

“I won’t... unless I have to,” she said while squeezing his hand.

Cullen winced at the thought, “It’s only a matter of time before Corypheus retaliates...”

Evelyn shushed him. “No. Let me enjoy this moment. Let me think what we’ve done already will be enough. Please, Cullen.”

“Alright,” he agreed and pulled her closer to him. “Perhaps it shall be.”

“Oh, I almost forgot. There’s someone else that really wants to see you. I’ll be back in just a minute,” Evelyn said while racing out of the wagon.

Her head appeared over the side of the wagon a short time later. “Are you ready for your special guest, Commander?”

“I guess so. Who is it?”

Evelyn lifted Bella up over the side of the wagon. The dog was overjoyed to see Cullen. Her stubby tail shook so vigorously that Evelyn nearly dropped her. 

Bella howled a hello and grinned her underbite-induced smile. Cullen laughed. “I’d forgotten how ugly you are, Bella.” The dog stopped wagging its tail and whined.

“Commander, are you insulting our dog child? I will not stand for it,” Evelyn said in mock fury. Bella licked Evelyn’s face appreciatively.

“Our dog child? Maker’s breath, Ev. Give her here,” Cullen said while reaching for the dog.

“Not until you apologize,” Evelyn insisted.

“Bella, I’m sorry for pointing out your unfortunate appearance.” Bella cocked her head to the side as if considering if that was an apology or another insult. 

Cullen took the hint and tried again, “Daddy’s sorry if he hurt your feelings.” Bella barked happily and leaped into Cullen’s awaiting arms.

“I thought you’d rejected the idea of being a dog father.”

“I’ve come around to the idea. Who knows? Maybe this will be good practice.”

“Practice for what?” Evelyn asked.

“Being a non-dog father,” Cullen replied with a wink.

“Don’t get any ideas,” 

“Baby steps...” Cullen teased.

Evelyn groaned.

Cullen sat up as best he could, “I’m not trying to pressure you, Ev. I just noticed you were holding my nephew Cullen at every available opportunity when we were in South Reach. It made me wonder if you might want a baby once we’re no longer at war and have been married awhile.”

“We were there one day, and he was very cuddly.” Scrunching up her face and folding her arms, she added, “Besides liking babies and wanting one of your own are two different things.”

“You’re absolutely right, of course,” Cullen agreed.

“Why are you even bringing this up to me? You passed baby Cullen off like he was a hot potato.” Evelyn noted. 

“I didn’t want to drop him or have my armor pinch him,” Cullen said before reluctantly adding, “And I was afraid someone might expect me to change a diaper if I held him for any length of time.”

“I think we’d best stick to a dog child for the time being,” Evelyn stated. “We can reexamine things after we’re no longer at war and know whether the Chantry will change its stance on mages.”

“That’s your real hold up - isn’t it? The Chantry?” Cullen asked.

Evelyn bit her lip then spoke, “Cullen, I was a healer at Ostwick. I helped deliver the babies that never felt their mothers' arms. I carried them away to the Templars, so they could be put in Chantry orphanages. So yes, that is my hold up, and it is a very valid one. Now I am officially changing the subject before I start ranting about your former profession.”

“Fair enough and thank you,” Cullen said.

“Thank you for what?”

“For being honest about your reservations. I know it’s hard for you to talk about anything related to the Circles. It is for me, too, for different reasons. Just thank you for not shutting me out of that part of your life.”

********************  
Solas was always a bit odd, but he had been especially broody and morose since visiting the Temple of Mythal. Evelyn was concerned for him and tried to get him to share what was troubling him.

“What will you do with the power of the well now that it is yours?” he challenged.

“I don’t have the well’s power, Solas. Morrigan is the one who drank from it. I was unwilling to pay the price for its knowledge,” Evelyn explained.

“Undoubtedly a wise choice on your part. To be bound to the will of an elven god...”

“Solas, you don’t even believe that they were truly gods.”

“Not gods, but I know they existed and were powerful. Tell me. Why did you not take the well’s treasure for your own?”

“I already told you. I was unwilling to give up my free will for knowledge and power. What’s that old saying? ‘Ignorance is bliss.’ I like bliss, and I like making my own decisions.”

“Remarkable. Few would be able to resist the temptation of millennia’s worth of arcane secrets.”

“You did. I asked if you wanted to drink, and you rather forcefully set aside that idea.”

“I, too, appreciate freedom,” Solas said with the first smile Evelyn had seen since they’d left Mythal’s Temple.

“So what do you think about Mythal not being trapped with the other gods? Fen’Harel isn’t the only elven Creator stalking around Thedas. Do you think that is good or bad?”

“I think it simply is. Whether you believe something is good or bad depends so much more on your perspective and biases rather than absolute truth.”

“Very philosophical, Solas. I meant to ask do you think Mythal would stand in opposition to the Inquisition?”

“I cannot say. Legends hold that Mythal was the mother, protective and fierce. Could the Inquisition do anything to incur her wrath or earn her sympathies? I don’t know. So much from the time of Arlathan is irrevocably lost, she might feel there was little left to protect. In any case, I do know that she should be respected and perhaps feared.”

“Abelas seemed to respect you. He referred to you as elvhen.”

“I am an elf. Had you never noticed before?” Solas quipped.

“Funny, Solas. I just wondered how it felt connecting with someone from so long ago - having that shared heritage.”

“It was humbling, and it reminded me of my duty.”

“Your duty?”

“To preserve what I can from that time.”

“Ah, like what you’ve learned from your journeys into the Fade?”

“Yes, like that.” Solas hedged.

Evelyn smiled and put her marked hand on the elf’s upper arm. “Thank you, Solas. I don’t know how I would have managed any of this without you. You’re a good friend.”

Solas inhaled deeply, “As are you, Inquisitor.”

**Author's Note:**

> It bothers me in game that Solas asks what the Inquisitor will do with the well's power even if they didn't drink from the well, so I had Evelyn challenge him on that.
> 
> Also I want chubby Ev and Cullen babies. That is all.


End file.
